Provision of Support to RN Oceanographic Equipment

There is a requirement for all Hydrographic Surveying capability to conform to Navy and International standards for accuracy. The operational effectiveness of the Navy’s Multi Beam Echo Sounder (MBES) is dependent on the accurate measurement of a body of waters sound velocity profile and height of tide. In creation of navigational charts, the surveyor is required to gather information on tidal stream and seabed geo physics. To support military operations the HM branch gathers information on sound velocity and water visibility. To achieve the objective hydrographic units deploy a number of hull mounted, winch deployed, seabed mounted, towed and autonomous oceanographic sensors. These sensors require servicing to replace defective or wearing parts, corrosion protection and calibration on a regular basis.